In August, things were looking up, and Lopez increased the size of the kitchen. Today, the diner is open Sundays to meet budgets, and it is turning a profit.
In this business, you have to have vision. Now it’s time to change the menu a little bit.
If you wait too long, it may hurt your business. I kept the things that made me strong, like Mexican hamburger steak.
I put in a little more healthy food. People think diners are greasy. But there’s a lot of pretty fresh food. Now, I have a lot of fruit. If people want potatoes, cottage cheese or fruit, I have it. Tomato slices, zucchini, squash, something different. They have a choice now.
We closed on Sundays for almost 10 months because I wanted to spend a little more time with my family. But I had to open Sundays because I went over my budget. People used to hate me because I closed Sundays. Now people are coming back. It’s like we never closed.
Now, I go to church early in the morning. But I needed the money.
I’m making money now, I’m making a profit. I’m starting to learn more about what corners I can cut. I go personally when I buy fresh veggies, and I buy it for half what it would cost me in other places. I also buy my own bread.
If we’re not busy, maybe we turn off the lights early. It’s like a game, and you have to play games to win, not to lose. It’s not easy; it’s a challenge.
I’m not afraid to make mistakes because I know I’ve struggled with my home, my mortgage. I live day to day.
I don’t have control about what happens in the future. I think it’s a good opportunity to be in business and enjoy what you do. That’s the key, but it’s hard.
I had a situation with a company fixing the cable or phone lines, and they locked my parking lot for almost three weeks. And some people told me that it was hard to get in because of them.
I’m not really thinking about what’s next. Whatever comes, nothing can surprise me anymore.
